Beth's Silver Lining at National Contest

Ashbourne boccia star Beth Foster prepared for next year’s Special Olympics Great Britain by picking up a silver medal competing for the East Midlands at the DSE Open Championship last weekend.

The 19-year-old Derby College student won a silver medal at the 2009 games in Leicester in the sport, which is similar to the French game of boules.

Competing in group BC8 at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield, Foster beat Scotland’s Kirsty McCallum 7-1 in her first game, before seeing off Jackie Hopwood from the North-West team to top her pool. That took the former Queen’s Grammar School student to the quarter-finals, where she eased past another North-West competitor, Katherine Edge, 6-0.

Foster went one better in the semi-final, winning 7-0 against Elizabeth Crabtree (also of the North-West team) to reach the final.

However, she missed out on gold to champion Adam Bloor, who won 5-0 in the showpiece finale.

Foster’s mother and step-father, Jaquie and Peter Rushton, who have been supporting her for this event, said: “We are very proud of what she has achieved. The next goal for Beth is working her way towards the Special Olympics next year which she is so looking forward to.

“Beth will be training here at Ashbourne Leisure Centre with her coach Mark Beeby, from Leicestershire, who will also be taking her to the games which are held in Bath next August.

“Beth says she hopes to bring home a gold medal this time!” Foster is currently looking for sponsorship or funding to help her boccia career, and anyone interested can email rushtonfos1@btinternet.com.